New project to model how breast cancer survivors manage their health

Jessie Chin
Jessie Chin, Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Jessie Chin and her team have received a $30,000 Arnold O. Beckman Research Award from the U of I Campus Research Board for their project, "Augmenting Health Self-Regulation across the Cancer Survivorship Continuum by Digital Phenotyping." For this project, the researchers will develop a model of how breast cancer survivors manage their health by passively tracking survivors' interactions with their personal digital devices to identify when assistance is needed. Chin's team will use the new algorithms to design proactive interventions to lower the self-care demands of cancer patients and optimize their long-term quality of life.

"Breast cancer is a chronic illness, and survivors need to address complex self-care needs throughout their lifetime," Chin said. "It is demanding for them to monitor their needs and seek resources on their own. In some cases, they might not be aware of where to seek resources or don't know how to start or continue a health plan."

Through this pilot study, the research team will bridge natural language processing, digital phenotyping, active machine learning, and the Health Action Process Approach, a framework that aims to describe, explain, and modify health behaviors. According to Chin, the new project is a steppingstone for all cancer researchers to design new digital health intervention for cancer patients.

"With this new technology, we will be able to deliver personalized self-care support to the homes of a diversity of people, in both urban and rural settings, meeting our ultimate goal to develop accessible and equitable smart health through the power of information," she said.

Chin's research aims to advance knowledge in cognitive sciences regarding evolving human interaction with contemporary information technologies and translating theories in social and behavioral sciences to the design of technologies and interaction experience to promote health communication and behavior across the lifespan. She holds a BS in psychology from National Taiwan University, an MS in human factors, and a PhD in educational psychology with a focus on cognitive science in teaching and learning from the University of Illinois.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Mateo Caballero

Twelve iSchool master’s students were named 2024-2025 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Mateo Caballero graduated from Northeastern University with a BA in communications and media and screen studies.

Mateo Caballero

iSchool represented at Charleston Conference

iSchool adjunct and affiliate faculty will participate in virtual and in-person sessions of the 2024 Charleston Conference. The conference is an annual gathering that draws librarians, publishers, vendors, and others to discuss issues relating to the acquisition and publication of books and serials. 

Schneider group to present at ASIS&T workshop

Members of Associate Professor Jodi Schneider’s group will present their research at the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Workshop on Informetric, Scientometric, and Scientific and Technical Information Research, which will be held virtually on November 6 and 13. The MET-STI 2024 Workshop is collaboratively hosted by the Special Interest Group for Metrics (SIG-MET) and Special Interest Group for Scientific and Technical Information (SIG-STI) of ASIS&T.

Jodi Schneider

Wong co-edits new edition of Reference and Information Services

Adjunct Lecturer Melissa Wong (MSLIS '94) and Laura Saunders, professor of library and information science at Simmons University, are the co-editors of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, Seventh Edition, which was recently published by Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited. The textbook provides a comprehensive update to the previous edition, also co-edited by Wong and Saunders, and serves as an essential resource for LIS students and practitioners alike.

Melissa Wong

iSchool researchers to present at ASSETS 2024

iSchool faculty and students will present their research at the 26th International Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group (SIG) ACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024), which will be held on October 28-30 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The conference is the premier forum for presenting research on design, evaluation, use, and education related to computing for people with disabilities and older adults.